Early Mobilization Compliance as a Quality Indicator After Hip Fracture Surgery: An Observational Study

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Public Health

Background:

• Hip fractures pose significant public health challenges for aging populations, leading to morbidity and functional decline.
• Early mobilization within 24 hours post-surgery is a critical quality indicator for hip fracture care, promoting functional recovery and reducing complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess compliance with early mobilization protocols in hip fracture patients.
• To identify clinical and organizational factors influencing the implementation of early mobilization.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective observational study of 139 adult hip fracture patients at a tertiary hospital in Madrid.
• Data collected included sociodemographic, clinical, and functional variables from electronic medical records.
• Early mobilization within 24 hours post-surgery was the primary outcome, analyzed against various factors.

Main Results:

• Early mobilization was achieved in 66.2% of patients.
• Compliance was significantly associated with blood transfusion needs (p=0.002), early postoperative radiography (p=0.004), and explicit mobilization orders (p<0.001).
• No significant associations found with age, sex, functional dependency, cognitive impairment, baseline mobility, or ASA classification.

Conclusions:

• Early mobilization after hip fracture surgery is influenced by modifiable clinical and organizational factors.
• Findings suggest that standardized protocols, automatic mobilization orders, and optimized perioperative management can enhance compliance and postoperative recovery.
• Caution is advised due to the absence of fracture- and surgery-specific variables in the analysis.